I heard a topical Bible teaching a couple of years ago on the topic of gratitude. Cultivating gratitude is NOT something I’ve done much over the years.
This teaching talked about the results of the “3 Good Things” study, where participants had to write down 3 good things that happened each day. Overall, it helped improve many who had depression if they made it a habit.
How to Cultivate Gratitude
I decided to adopt this “3 Good Things” framework.
I have a physical planner, but I also use it as a gratitude journal.
Here are the categories of my "3 Good Things"
1 – Something I’m grateful for about God
2 – Something I’m grateful for about my husband
3 – A general thing that happened in my day
Do I do this every day? No – far from it! But I have gotten more consistent with it over time, and it has started to affect my mood and outlook on life.
As with any habit, it’s hard to be consistent at first. Have grace with yourself and pick it up tomorrow!
When I first started, I probably only did this once a week. Now, after a couple of years, I remember to do it most days of the week.
How does gratitude have to do with finances?
In my experience, learning to be more grateful has softened the edge of my desire for control over money. Am I perfect at it? Nope! But it has been so freeing to not feel the stress and anxiety of what I don’t have.
We are bombarded with things to have and things to want day in and day out. Being grateful for one or two things a day puts into perspective what we already have – whether it is a physical item or an intangible thing!
Here is a list of prompts to get you started:
God
- An attribute of God
- A time God provided for you when you were in need
- Something God showed you about yourself
- An encouraging time reading the Bible
- Seeing a truth in the Bible that applies to your life now
Spouse/Boyfriend/Girlfriend
- A gift they gave you
- An encouragement they told you today
- Something they did for you – dishes, vacuuming, cleaning, yard work, running errands, etc.
- A way they loved someone else – a child, a parent, a neighbor
- A personality trait you like about them (what attracted you to them in the first place?)
- A physical trait you like about them
- A fun experience you have shared
Friends
- A fun time together
- A word of encouragement spoken to you
- Recommendations for a TV show or restaurant
- Appreciation for a personality trait
- A gift you’ve been given
Work
- Having a job that provides for you and your family
- A positive attribute about your boss or coworker
- Something you are enjoying about a current project
- What you have learned through your job
Finances
- You have money in the bank
- You have a place to live
- Needs that are met
- Your job
- Managing money/learning to manage money
Miscellaneous
- An unexpected free night
- Finding joy in something – like a book, music, TV, or art project
- A beautiful scene – like the colors of the sky at dusk
- Enjoying nature
- Enjoying a delicious meal or treat
- Making progress on a project or learning a new skill
What is something you would add to this list? Share in the comments!
